School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-Freedman begins this outstanding history by reminding his audience that the injustices of racial segregation did not happen that long ago in the United States. Throughout the book, he gives accounts of how much coordination and sacrifice went into conducting the Montgomery Bus Boycott-far more than students are likely to imagine from the usual popular and oversimplified versions offered in textbooks and on television. There is a refreshing emphasis on depictions of regular people and forgotten local crusaders working together to make the boycott possible and triumphant, from inspiring descriptions of drivers getting up at dawn to take others to work to accounts of well-known civil-rights lawyers working to find the right plaintiff to challenge unjust laws. Freedman's prose style pulls readers into the narrative, integrating the actual recorded words and deeds of the people to tell the story. The high-quality, black-and-white photographs range from everyday scenes of African-American boycotters meeting, waiting for carpools, and protesting to representations of more famous figures, such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., etc. Extensive chapter notes, an annotated selected bibliography, and a thorough index round out the exemplary presentation. Pair this volume with Ann Bausum's Freedom Riders (National Geographic) and Nikki Giovanni's Rosa (Holt, both 2005) for a powerful introduction to the Civil Rights Movement.-Michael Santangelo, Brooklyn Public Library, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Starred Review ALA Booklist

Starred Review As Freedman points out, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was a triumphant historical event, and there are numerous memoirs, articles, and scholarly works, for adults and for young readers, about the leaders and the ordinary heroes. In his signature clear prose, Freedman draws on the best of those personal stories and historical accounts to provide a dramatic overview of how the 381-day resistance to segregated buses spearheaded the civil rights movement. He brings close the experience of what it was like to be there, on the bus and on the street. With the eloquent accounts of the legendary heroes sa Parks, Martin Luther King and more e the stories of other important activists, including Jo Ann Robinson (president of the Women's Political Council) and teenager Claudette Colvin, as well as the lawyers and politicians. The photo-essay design is attractive and spacious. On every spread, readers will find beautifully reproduced black-and-white photos, including famous pictures as well as a few not often seen, including a picture of a leaflet urging boycott. Suggest Diane McWhorter's A Dream of Freedom (2004) and Ellen Levin's Freedom's Children (1993) to readers who will want to find out more. Freedman provides fully documented chapter notes and an excellent bibliographic essay.

Kirkus Reviews

Beginning with the story of a college professor's frightening experience on a Montgomery bus, Freedman brings this oft-told story to an audience ready to move beyond the popular legend. Civil-rights activist E.D. Nixon was looking for the best person to be the standard-bearer in a constitutional challenge to the segregated bus system of Montgomery, Ala. Though several others had been confronted or arrested on the buses, Rosa Parks was the perfect choice. Intelligent and quiet, the 42-year-old Parks had been involved in civil-rights work for years. Her arrest was used to launch the modern Civil Rights movement, resulting in a successful strike of 381 days and the eventual U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Alabama's bus segregation laws were unconstitutional. Freedman does a masterful job of making a complex point in history—with so many key players and pivotal events—accessible and interesting to a young audience. The focus is on everyday people acting on behalf of what was right, even before they knew it would become a movement, people who became "actors in an historical drama that changed a nation." Clear prose, well-chosen photographs and superb source notes and bibliography make this an essential source on the topic. (map, acknowledgments, index) (Nonfiction. 8-14)

Horn Book

In his account of this defining episode in the fight for racial equality, Freedman shines a spotlight on the sacrifice and courage of thousands of unsung African Americans who boycotted Montgomery's buses for 381 days--jeopardizing livelihoods and safety. The expertly paced text, balanced but impassioned, emphasizes the strategizing, organizing, and restraint from all involved. Well captioned black-and-white photographs enhance this absorbing narrative. Bib., ind.

Voice of Youth Advocates

In 1955, the law in Montgomery, Alabama, said that African Americans had to sit in the backs of buses. They were also often forced to give up their seats to whites if buses became crowded. Some African Americans tried to fight back, refusing to give up their seats, and were arrested and fined. Leaders of the local black community wanted to take this issue to federal court, but they needed just the right person to help them win. They found that person on December 1, 1955, when a woman named Rosa Parks was arrested after politely refusing to relinquish her bus seat to a white person. Black leaders were hoping to create a high-profile case, and felt that the gentle, law-abiding Parks had the maturity and strength of character necessary to see the process through. Parks's case sparked an organized boycott of Montgomery buses, bringing the bus company to its knees and setting off an explosive nationwide struggle over civil rights. Freedman, a Newbery Award-winning author, highlights this heated period of American history with sensitivity and enthusiasm. He adds interest to the familiar story of Rosa Parks by including information on many other key participants, both black and white, who were crucial to the boycott's success. Freedman's clear, fluid prose causes this excellently documented book to read like a novel. Compelling photographs of significant people and events are placed on almost every page. This book is a must for public and school library collections.-Dotsy Harland.